A project with outriders ambition is almost never perfect out of the box. Too many moving parts for a cover-based shooter with online mechanics and mining mechanics. Developer People Can Fly discovered this early on in his project.
Even with a successful beta test, the team ran into unexpected problems, resulting in a suboptimal launch. The project leaders said they were surprised by the technical issues and, in addition, they had to focus on balance and gameplay issues. This was in April. Since then, People Can Fly has been fixing the flaws found in the game.
The result of this work was the New Horizon update. Basically, it’s a chance for People Can Fly to bounce back from a bad first impression. The update adds more quality of life improvements, especially towards the end of the game, that players have been asking for. In addition, the team has added four new expeditions:
- City of nomads – players face a character who is haunted by the sins of his past.
- Marshal’s Complex – Corrigan asks players to reclaim the object on Dedroc’s Pass.
- The Source is a mission in which the player helps Thiago at a pilgrimage site.
- Depths of Fire – Players return to Eagle Peaks to find a hidden power plant.
This is a lot of new content, but players shouldn’t expect new weapons or new types of enemies. Again, this is People Can Fly’s attempt to refine the base game to make it shine the way they wanted it to.
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
The biggest change in the New Horizon update is that Expeditions no longer have timers. This was a flaw in the content design for the final game because it prioritized the builds that deal the most damage. Time-based rewards narrowed down the types of customizations that players considered viable. Without an emphasis on timing, players are likely to see more variety in the types of the chosen classes and their variations.
When it comes to the legendary grind, People Can Fly makes it easy for players to grab the items they are looking for. They have increased the legendary drop rate and created an anti-duplication system. Players who already have legendary gear will no longer receive it. If players complete the hardest Expedition, The Eye of the Storm, they will be able to choose a Legendary item as a reward. Additionally, Thiago’s Shop is more useful, offering one Legendary item per day. Players can also reroll items in the hopes of getting better stats.
FIND THE RIGHT IMAGE
The way People Can Fly is positioning this update could be the Outriders renaissance. This is the path that Ubisoft has made its way with Tom Clancy’s The Division, turning a disappointing debut into a triumph by constantly improving the project. From what I’ve played, improvements and new content reinforce the disappointing end of the game. The new missions feature notable design changes that challenge players to do more than just defeat a wave of enemies and move forward. I ran into an error and it could mean that the update might require another update.
According to People Can Fly, if players want more, new modes, new legends and new content are in development, but players will find out more next year.
…
